Paramount lays off CBS News staff as Skydance merger reshapes unit

CBS News employees were among those laid off on Wednesday as parent company Paramount implemented a wide round of cuts tied to its merger with Skydance, with about 100 newsroom positions eliminated and several streaming programs and international operations shuttered or restructured, people familiar with the matter said. The reductions come as Paramount begins what it says will be a multistage effort to reduce costs and align the company under new ownership.

The layoffs included the streaming spinoffs CBS Mornings Plus and CBS Evening News Plus, sources said, and led to the departure of key on-air talent from the weekend schedule. Michelle Miller and Dana Jacobson, cohosts of CBS Saturday Morning, are expected to leave; the program’s executive producer was also among those affected. The network plans to overhaul the Saturday edition, merging remaining staff with the weekday CBS Mornings team and bringing the show closer in format to its weekday counterpart. CBS is also closing its Johannesburg bureau, with London assuming regional oversight.

Paramount Chief Executive David Ellison said in a staff memo that the cuts address redundancies and roles that no longer align with the...